Gentleman Max ($2.45) showed all of his fighting qualities to rise up off the canvas and win the Noelsautoparts.com.au Open Handicap (1400m) in true dogged fashion.

It was Gentleman Max's 16^th career victory at start number 123, with 13 of those wins coming on a heavy track.

It was a well-deserved win for the eight-year-old after having little rest in the run. He hit the front 350 metres from home and fought off all the challengers to get home by a nose.

In the end it was his stablemate, Willy White Socks ($13), who flew home for second out wide on the track, a length in front of The Doctor's Son ($3.50).

Leading trainer Trevor Sutherland was proud of Gentleman Max's performance again, lauding the horse's will to win.

"It's hard to replace," Sutherland told Sky Racing.

"Will and desire to win in this game, and maybe most games in life, you can do a lot of things if you don't give up.

"He was strong late. Brock said what are we going to do, I said it's a very tricky gate in a small field but I was happy to keep doing a bit of work and he just kept strolling, which is good."

Apprentice jockey Brock Ryan steered Gentleman Max to victory, in what was just his second ride on the horse and after riding him at the Sapphire Coast once two years ago.

Sutherland was happy with both Gentleman Max and Willy White Socks, who had been set for the 3800 metres of the Riverina Cup before it was cancelled.

"I was a bit worried about both of them today, it's probably right at the shortest end of where they need to be at the moment," Sutherland said.

"I knew I'd be very strong late and I knew a couple of them are very good horses but maybe first-up were going to feel it late and I knew we would be really good.

"It was a very good effort by them both."

It was a good start to the day for punters at Wagga on Sunday with the first three favourites all getting the money.

Wagga trainer Tim Donnelly was pleased to see Pushkar ($1.70) break through for an overdue victory in the Inland Power Solutions Maiden Plate (1200m).

"This horse has been unlucky in a lot of races so he has been worth persevering with," Donnelly said.

Josh Richards guided Logan River ($14) to victory for Mitch Beer in the Michael Inglis Wagga Whiz (1000m), nailing $2.10 favourite Pleasant right on the post.

It was the first leg of a race-to-race double for Richards, who won the last on the Graham Byatt-trained Lennox Road ($14).

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